He was only out for about 30 minutes last night, but is already causing quite a stir amongst guests. Don’t worry about missing him, rumor is that talking Mickey will be around for at least the next two weeks, if not permanently at Town Square Theater. We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.

Mickey Mouse in Town Square Theater still has little to no wait

The Beauty and The Beast area is really starting to look great…

As is Prince Eric’s Castle and rock work.

Over the holiday weekend The Magic Kingdom had a new Stroller Parking test going on:

Stroller parking near the old skyway station was closed. Instead guests could use stroller parking near It’s a Small World.

Royal Subjects were begin asked as they came through the castle to park their strollers here near the Castle while they enjoyed Fantasyland. Guest were also unable to park across from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The cast member at the rear of this photo was doing periodic stroller counts. We believe this to be a test for when the walls move out closer to Winnie the Pooh and the current Dumbo, however this could also be permanent once Fantasyland is completed.

The castle looks great

Dumbo construction is coming along nicely

New Fantasyland aka Crane-land

Someone ought to take down those signs

The Galaxy Stage was setup for Night of Joy in a cast member parking lot behind the Buzz Lightyear Meet and Greet

We still love these Halloween Decorations

Does anyone know what these scarecrow citizens are actually called?

Moving over for a quick stop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

These lighting rigs have been put in place for nightly performances by Mulch, Sweat and Shears

Moving over to Epcot the Mexico Pavilion was worthy of this picturesque shot.

At the Japan Pavilion Yakatori House is closed and its walls extend past the Koi pond

The food and wine stand has opened early to serve guests in it’s place however

Limited menu

O Refurbishment

I present to you the backside of Refurbishment….

Aww! Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s newest addition

MORE STAR TOURS! Not too much, we promise…

Plenty of Star Tours merchandise is inside Tatooine Traders now

Naboo Spacelines featured on the box for some reason… Why is every Naboo spaceship yellow?

The action figure sets

Star Tours merchandise is now mixed in with all the usual stuff

The Star Wars Weekends stage has returned to normal for Disney Channel Rocks!

Believable…

Some new props have been installed since we last visited, namely the chalkboard with various replacements for Eeyore’s tail

Bees were attached

Lines haven’t been too bad

The work in the street on Sunset Blvd. is done, now the produce distributor is behind walls

Moving to the Magic Kingdom, he’s still not getting a line!!!

A cool new detail Adam discovered, light reveals an electricity effect on this billboard!

It looks like Mickey is being electrocuted

Curtain Call Collectibles continues to push its merchandise further outside

The hatter is from New York for some reason

Dapper Dans!

The Tomorrowland Terrace is open

Storybook Circus construction is picking up

Temporary sign still outside Carousel of Progress

These hot dogs must be popular…

Back to the Storybook Circus

A lot of heavy equipment has moved in

The frame of the Dumbo queue is complete!

That was quick!

If we compare this to the original model, we can see the big tent frame:

The rock-work in the Beauty and the Beast area is really coming along…

Maurice’s cottage takes shape as a mountain grows behind

Work has picked up on the Be Our Guests Restaurant

Same for Bonjour Village Gifts

An overview of the Beauty and the Beast realm

The steel frame for the rock-work on Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid is up

The Fantasyland Skyway station is being demolished to build a wider path to Liberty Square and new Fantasyland restrooms

You can see some pieces missing already

Goodbye…

The Haunted Mansion queue now has signs directing to the scenic rout and the direct route (interactive queue and entrance)

The interactive queue remains popular

To combat complaints that it was too small, they have extended Master Gracey’s grave!

The entrance of Pecos Bill’s is behind walls and tarps

Guests are asked to use this side entrance

Well, the Enchanted Tiki Room is coming back… in case you hadn’t heard that over the last 3 years

Work continues to restore the orginal

It’s now a hard hat area

Nothing like some Leaky Tikis in the Summer

You’re not blocking it…

The Fantasyland crane is visible from far away

If you squint, Blackbeard was added to Pirates of the Caribbean

Maybe if you unfocused your eyes? I don’t know, I’ve never been good at these things…

Some character portraits from the new film in Caribbean Plaza

NO, NO MORE STAR TOURS! Ok… more Star Tours….

I wish we could read all these luggage tags

That’s a lot of luggage

Peoplemover?

?

Yes, Peoplemover!

Goodnight from Echo Lake Apartments!

I think you know where we’re going…

These billboards for Pirates of the Caribbean at the Magic Kingdom are up all over Orlando, I guess they are just reminding people…

Holy Epcot parking lot Batman…

Hope that WDI will finish work in the main plaza, because it just looks very plain right now…

“Gummi Bears, bouncin’ here an there and every where!”

Cinderella and Prince Charming out in Future World for the busy holiday week

Epcot has become a bit overgrown the last couple of years, some of the great sight-lines have been lost

Speaking of line-of-sight, keep this out of it…

WITH A FLASH OF LIGHT, THE TRONORAIL ZOOMS PAST!

It’s busy…

It’s really busy…

Where is the lost and found, because you must have lost your senses to wait in line for this…

Before…

After…

Please switch it to closed…

Figment takes a nap since he not used to working this hard anymore

Some of the Imageworks is still walled-off

There was actually quite a few guests making their own Figment

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel…

And it’s Captain EO!

HOOTER!!!

Welcome to 1986

A decent crowd

The keychain is cool, not so sure I want the glove…

Surely this line won’t be bad

Wrong again…

The VELCRO exhibit in Innoventions closed a few weeks ago, but it looks like the next tenant will be using the same exterior

It’s nice to see that those who bought Leave a Legacy plaques are not forgotten, these get replaced pretty regularly

WHAT’S THIS?

TRONORAIL

It’s so bright I can barely see!

In record time, the TRONORAIL ZOOMS to the Magic Kingdom!

Here’s another look at the new color scheme on The Confectionary

Storybook Circus construction continues

No visible progress on The Barnstormer

The walls of the Dumbo queue actually look like walls now

Another look at the Dumbo walls

A look into the entrance area of the Storybook Circus

It’s a mess right now

Strawberry filled churro? Yes please!

Still closed…

Someone had to realize that lawyers would never allow a bouncy area with holes that sink into the ground to open

Eeyore must be out and about

Everything in this queue has held up pretty well

HONK!

Hidden mickey…

Hidden Nautilus…

Hidden castle…

Beast’s Castle probably won’t change much from this point on, but things underneath it will

The Toontown pin cart lives on!

The rock-work next to Enchanted Tales with Belle is really taking shape

An overall look at the Beauty and the Beast realm

It’s hard to have a photo report without the Haunted Mansion these days

The Captain’s Tomb is in full-effect right now

The grass is still growing in up in the remodeled graveyard

LOVE the vines growing around the shovels!

I never noticed this was a door…

Let’s try one…

Really? That one was pretty bad…

A nod to a Spongebob Squarepants villain? Anyone get it? No? Fine… I’ll move on…

Rest in peace

I think the graveyard looks better than it did before

…..

Time to eat

Awwwww

Park was packed, but these lines remain reasonable

A new sign has popped up inside since we last visited

Some new ear hats are available

The 40th anniversary ears have some small buttons on them

The area at the exit of Town Square Theater is no longer empty, it now has a desk for ear hat embroidery

Park was crowded, so guests were getting funneled through the backstage area

Eggs in the hedges? That’s the Disney difference

It is a very small touch, but it’s attention to detail

A really cool banner backstage to inform Cast Members of Mickey’s move

The interactive queue a the Haunted Mansion looks great at night

Oooooooooooo, it changes colors

The temporary bridge to Adventureland is history… as is this photo report…

Sign pointing guests inside

Mickey’s wait has remained short while the Princess wait has soared

Standby and FASTPASS

Anybody here?

We’re goin’ in!

Some posters popped up in the meet and greet areas since the previews

Just for a train station…

Mad Hatter reference

All of the park icons are represented on this shelf if you think about it…

For now, Mickey owns two of the same outfit rather than his normal suit and a magician costume

Madame Mim from the Sword in the Stone gets a reference

Stein Cosmetics was a real company in the early 1900′s if you do a little research

Of course…

AMAZING!!!!

Funny stuff

My personal favorite…

Another new poster

Another one

These cards are just off in the corner… alone…

Time for Princesses

If you answered A, C, or D, please leave…

Time to shop!

So many amazing details

A huge hallway awaits something…

Time for Disney’s worst kept secret… the original Tropical Serenade/Enchanted Tiki Room is returning

There’s a ton of work going on, now hidden by walls and tarps, but work is visible

Wait times sign for Mickey inside. Don’t expect to see this wait very often…

Banner over the doorway

We meet Mickey in the theater offices

These moving pictures offer guest entertainment, but no word on if they will actually interact with guests

Mickey’s mail-slot

The first of hundreds of inside-Disney references point to Fantasia among a number of other things

One of Mickey’s trunks have a Club 33 sticker!

More great references!

This moving rabbit is right out of the short Presto

The desk has references to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and Mary Poppins, just to name a few

References to Presto, The Band Concert, Steamboat Willie, and more! It just doesn’t end!

Magic trunk

Mickey’s trunk/closet

Blueprints for “The Saw of Dread”

This schedule references Fantasia and The Three Little Pigs

The birdhouse from Mickey’s Toontown Fair is back in the shop at the exit

Even Curtain Call Collectibles has amazing details

An Imagineering tribute on “The Saw of Destiny”

Let’s go see the Princesses!

The sign can easily be changed with a picture of whatever princesses are appearing

The queue area is massive, but beautiful

The Princess side has more temporary trivia running as this will not always be their home

Some very temporary backdrops are in the meet and greet area

Expect more of Mickey’s offices here after the Princesses move to Fairytale Hall in late 2012

The new marquee looks nice at night

Inside the main lobby

Guests now enter Tony’s from the center rather than near the front door

Box Office Gifts offers Photopass and a few pieces of random merchandise

The split in the meet and greets

Mickey’s trunks have stickers from Disney locations around the world

Another look at the bulletin board

The Sorcerer’s Hat and Madame Leota’s Crystal Ball up on the shelf

Magician Mickey just isn’t ready to perform yet, so the classic standard Mickey and Minnie greeted guests

A Sword in the Stone reference!

The magic wands light up for some reason…

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice robe

The desk again

A Ludvig Von Drake reference? Look it up kids…

An amazing disappearing bird! Wasn’t cool since Journey Into Imagination…

The hand from The Haunted Mansion projection makes a cameo! Ok, it’s just a hand…

The shop features many of the props pictured in the moving posters

A closer look at the Imagineering tribute

The princesses face “The Saw of Dread”!

The registers really fit the theme

Back outside to the wet floor…

Mickey plays card tricks with guests

Can’t help but feel Tower of Terror with this one

Chip and Dale have fun with Mickey and the ball in a cup trick

Lots of queue

A reference to a Tokyo Disneyland Resort Hotel… now we’re getting obscure…

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa sticker and a sticker representing the train station most use to arrive at Disneyland Resort Paris

This room is backwards!

“Feed the birds…”

It’s like when Disneyland Paris ran Tempil of Peril backwards! OK, not quite. Let’s just say Mickey has so many offices that some face a different direction…

A picture drawn by WDI Concept Designer Jason Grandt

MAgic flowers

A great gag!

Backwards!

Curtain Call Collectibles is very well themed, but the merchandise is fairly generic at the moment

You can just go shop if you would like…

Sign pointing guests inside

The wait for Princesses was a lot longer than Mickey, but they are supposedly running at a smaller capacity in less rooms

The FASTPASS area could not be any further off of Main Street, it is practically backstage

Tony’s waiting area is actually quite different now, there used to be a diving wall here

Still has the TV playing Lady and the Tramp thankfully

That new queue sees it’s first filling!

YIKES!

As we saw, you can see “The Cage of Mystery” inside Mickey’s office

Poor Donald…

The Princess side, again, is very temporary

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit gets some love

Nana? Really? That’s a dog…

If you answered A, C, or D, go home!

The walls in the Princess queue are bare so they can be easily transformed once they move out next year

Aww, a hidden Cinderella Castle!

Stay tuned for continuing video and photo coverage of the Town Square Theater as we approach it’s official opening on April 1st!

Banners for the Princesses and Magician Mickey are now up outside

The sign that was installed a few weeks ago

The Princesses will be living here until at least late 2012

This will be Mickey’s permanent home

Wait time signs await activation

Inside, work is wrapping up

A beautiful tile mural wrapping the new area into the Main Street story has been revealed

Signage directs guests to the three separate venues. The theater entrance is the gateway to the meet and greet experiences

Tony’s Town Square restaurant has reconfigured their waiting area so a line does not flow into the center of the new lobby that will now be pretty busy

This area is Box Office Gifts. There is a sign outside for a “Curtain Call Collectibles”, which we assume is another shop at the exit of the meet and greets

The Town Square Theater is officially opening on April 1st, so stay tuned to WDW News Today as we keep you up-to-date on this exciting project!

At the Disney Parks Blog, we’re as excited as you are to learn more about Walt Disney Imagineering’s (WDI) plans for Town Square Theater, the new permanent home for Mickey Mouse at Magic Kingdom Park that’s set to debut in early April.

I’m happy to report that earlier today, WDI gave us an earful – pun intended – on the details planned for this exciting new meet-and-greet area.

In keeping with the small-town theme of Main Street, U.S.A., Town Square Theater will take on the tradition of turn-of-the-Twentieth-century theaters that served as the center of excitement in small towns, offering thrills through vaudeville and other forms of entertainment. At Town Square Theater, families will be able to go backstage to meet Magician Mickey Mouse, who is excited to meet and greet guests in his rehearsal room.

And of course, WDI has designed the entire experience to be magical. Guests will first enter the theater building through a lobby that will serve as a hub for character meet-and-greet queues, the Box Office Gifts merchandise shop and Tony’s Town Square Restaurant.

According to WDI Concept Designer Jason Grandt, the lobby will be decorated in gold and cream colors that were chosen to recreate the feel of a historic theater.

“Upon entering the lobby, guests will be faced with a beautiful tile mosaic featuring the Town Square Theater logo,” Jason said. “The color scheme reflects that of historical theaters with a little inspiration from our master magician, Mickey Mouse.”

Just beyond the lobby, guests will pass through an ornate arch and enter a queue to meet either Magician Mickey Mouse or the Disney princesses. Special interactive posters featuring Mickey’s various magic acts will be in place to enhance the guests’ journey through the queue line, which will take them deep into the backstage corridors of the theater.

“You will recognize the poster style as that of turn-of-the-century magicians such as Houdini,” Jon Georges, WDI director/senior show producer said. “But these posters carry Mickey’s magical touch that can bring them to life and interact with you as you wait.”

WDI is keeping us guessing on what comes next, but did send these mysterious photos for us to share.

Time to “Let the Memories Begin”…

Work is wrapping up on Mickey’s new home, the Town Square Theater

Goodbye Exposition Hall, hello Town Square Theater still presented by Kodak

The Confectionary facade is still behind tarps

Welcome foolish mortals to the Haunted Mansion refurbishment

Guests haven’t been able to see much the last few months

They have damaged quite a bit of the exiting area…

I can’t recall such a themed handle on a construction wall…

Rumors are this has something to do with re-routing the handicap loading

Moving over to Fantasyland, despite improper permits, it is the Fantasyland Skyway building that will be demolished

As nice as the building is, it would be difficult to use for something else

Enchanted Tales with Belle and Be Our Guest Restaurant are coming along nicely

Rumors indicate Snow White’s Scary Adventures will not close until Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid is complete in 2012

Speaking of The Little Mermaid, it’s coming up fast

A lot of dead space in the middle means to Mine Train Coaster until mid-to-late 2013

Tigger’s Bounce area still closed…

The walls blocking the former Toontown Fair now have billboards for the Storybook Circus

Still no idea what Pete’s Silly Sideshow is…

Looks like this stuff is staying

The building really needs a coat of paint

Work on the Tomorrowland Speedway is just about finished

It wasn’t all bulldozed

Yep, it still exists…

It was Adam’s first time on the island even though he has lived in Orlando his entire life…

Things are actually looking well-kept

Aunt Polly’s has been shuttered forever, but you can buy a drink from a machine

A bridge is being refurbished

The new portion of the Haunted Mansion queue is now covered

Views of the new graveyard area have been blocked

It actually blends in nicely

Some new recruits for The Pirate’s League

Goofy has gotten a pirate’s themed meet and greet near Pirates of the Caribbean

The Enchanted Tiki Room is still closed, but rumors persist the original show is returning…

The water is drained and props are missing

For how much longer?

Work continues on the new Adventureland bridge

Long lines for Princesses

Always nice to be inside the old Adventureland Veranda

The Club 626 Dance Party is back in Tomorrowland

Seems to be very popular

Stitch dancing with guests

Donald’s Boat is history

The walls have really closed in on the Speedway

Obviously, this back path to Toontown is closed

New food featured on the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant sign

Angus cheeseburgers and pasta selections are now available

The offerings are quite different but the question is, are they any good?

Another look at the new Town Square Theater sign

It looks like it has been there forever, designed to perfectly match the area

Goodbye Magic Kingdom